The Crown will depict the Queen and Margaret Thatcher as 'twins who are not the same', says creator

Writer Peter Morgan was struck by the two women’s similarities

The Crown creator Peter Morgan has revealed the new series of the Netflix hit will portray the Queen and Margaret Thatcher as “twins” who have major similarities.

According to The Telegraph, the writer said he was surprised by how much the two women had in common, despite their opposing views.

The fourth series, which begins in November, will star Gillian Anderson as the former Tory prime minister, while Olivia Colman will reprise her role as the Queen.

“When I found out that they were born only six months apart, that was a really big breakthrough for me. They’re like twins who are not the same,” Morgan said.

He added: “They’re both very resilient, very committed, work incredibly hard, have an extraordinary sense of duty. They’re both really committed to the country.

“They both have a strong Christian faith. They’re both girls of the war generation who switch the lights off when they leave a room. But then they had such different ideas about running the country.”

The pair’s relationship was not as fraught as it is often portrayed to be. When Thatcher was forced out of Downing Street by her own Cabinet in 1990, the Queen felt her prime minister had been so badly treated that she invited her to a horse racing meeting as a goodwill gesture.  

However, insiders have suggested the Queen Mother, who died in 2002, was much more of an admirer of Thatcher’s Conservative politics than her daughter, a more centrist figure.

The Crown season four is set during the end of the 1970s, as Thatcher leads the country into the Falklands War and the Queen looks to safeguard the line of succession by finding a bride for Prince Charles.

The Crown will be on Netflix from 15 November.